Life After Death
by Pumpkinshota
Summary: "For anyone who knows of my former neighbor and the things he's done in the past…   I'm almost positive they would hate him, for every soul he has crushed, for every person he has manipulated, and for every heart he shattered, yet…"


For anyone who knows of my former neighbor and the things he's done in the past…

I'm almost positive they would hate him, for every soul he has crushed, for every person he has manipulated, and for every heart he shattered, yet…

I've never actually hated him, and I've never been able to bring myself to hate him, despite everything he did to me, my friends, and the people around me. Maybe some people would find this surprising to know, and probably, some people wouldn't be able to understand my point of view, but if you'd be willing to listen for a short while I could explain.

Even when we were just children, Pokey had a horrible tendency to be a nuisance to everyone, causing many people to dislike him. I'd always been very observing for all of my life even if nobody had ever noticed, and I had always wondered what caused Pokey to act out the way he did. So, being the ever adventurous one, I of course had gone out to investigate!

Peeking into his window, unnoticed, after having jumped over the fence around the Minch's house, I saw something horrible; Pokey bloodied and battered, laying on the floor which was also stained with blood, his father smacked him repeatedly with a belt that had a metal buckle, eliciting cries of absolute agony from Pokey. I was horrified at what I was seeing… being that I was only ten years old at the time made it even scarier.

I had bolted home and told my mom, and she made some calls the next day for child protection. After hearing my account of what had happened, my mom was very concerned but wasn't sure if there was anything else we could do past calling Child Protection. Knowing we were doing anything at all made me feel at least a bit better.

Well… they came the next day, but nothing was done to actually help the problem, which left us disappointed and upset. It was from then on, after witnessing that horrible abuse that I decided to be Pokey's friend despite how he acted or treated me. He needed someone to be his friend, surely?

Well… as we got older he only became worse, and I pitied him… I really did. Sometimes, in his moments when he was just alone outside, locked out presumably… I would notice him staring at my house with an expression that said it all… He was sad, he was lonely, he was angry at everyone, and…he was jealous of me. The way he acted toward me and my family, and any time I was incredibly happy over something was a good way to judge that.

He was jealous of me, who had a nice family, a nice house, a dog and lots of friends,

And because of his jealousy, he was bitter towards everyone and everything… Things only became even worse when he came to realize I had powers a normal kid wouldn't have.

Along my journey, in Magicant especially, I came to realize… all of these bitter emotions are what provoked him to work against me and pair up with Giygas. He wanted to prove a point; that he didn't need powers to be better than me. When my friends and I defeated Giygas and Pokey ran to another timeline… somehow deep down I knew it wouldn't be the last time I saw him. I was right… so many years in the future… long after the world had been destroyed by people even after I attempted to save it… long after my sadness over my failure to save my home…

He was there, in the rebuilding of the world. He was there… wreaking havoc upon everyone and their blissful existence. But… my time had long passed so there was very little I could do but watch… watch and push ideas into people's minds from time to time. Someone who is dead can't do much else, y'know? Then there was another question… why was I still clinging to existence within the material realm after so long? Easily enough said; Once I set my mind to a task I complete it. Pokey was still apart of my task to save the world, even if it wasn't the world that I had known back in my time line. No, this time I had to save the world that was just rebuilding from the chaotic end that had taken place within my life.

There were times during planning what I could do to help stop Pokey that I cried. I cried because I missed my friends and family so much… and I cried because Pokey had become so much worse… he had become a murderer, killing the mother and brother of a young blonde named Lucas, and countless other people for his own selfish pleasures.

Upon Lucas turning 14 years old, I could sense the psychic energy within him… and that was when I decided I follow him, for he had such potential if he could just work up the courage to put his good heart to use.

He was shy and timid, and needed whatever help I could lend him to overcome his shortcomings. We both needed to help each other… he would lead me to Pokey, and I would do my best to give him confidence and strength in whatever way possible…

There were times when he would look around, as if he knew I was there… but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Seeing as we both had psychic powers, though mine were obviously greatly hampered now that I was no longer living, I'm sure he could feel some remnant of what once was. Sometimes… just sometimes, he would murmur in his sleep, about having a protector… I wasn't sure if that would be me, or someone else completely.

Well…

Throughout the entire adventure Lucas had, I followed him and his friends… all the way up until the end when we met Pokey face to face… he looked horrible…

Time travelling had aged him to look like an old man, but it was obvious his mentality was that of a psychotic child who cared only for himself and no one else. Yes… he had gone completely insane from his own loneliness and anger. This was the chance I had been looking for; to finally finish the task I had been waiting so long to…

With the remainder of my psionic energy, I cast into Pokey's ravaged mind over and over again exactly what he wanted to hear, "Save yourself by any means possible… make it so they can never reach you…"

This worked to my advantage even better than I thought; he retreated into a place where as soon as you go in… you can never leave, a place where he would spend the rest of eternity. Neither physical attacks nor PSI attacks could possibly reach him, hence the name the 'Ultimate Safety Capsule', but… he was trapped forever now, all alone.

In a strange way, I thought that was a worse torture than anything he had done to anyone else… yet… a fitting end to both of our stories. As Lucas and his friends went on to the final needle, I stayed behind and let them go on… Lucas would have to face this last challenge on his own.

Moving toward the 'Ultimate Safety Capsule' I placed a hand upon the strange, advanced device, closing my eyes… I felt so sleepy now. The energy I had used in my last attempt to put Pokey in his place… it was all I had left. It was my time now…

I still pitied Pokey, despite everything… and I still didn't hate him. He'd caused so many people so much pain, but… No, I still couldn't hate him. Maybe I was a bit far gone to insanity, too, but… that didn't change a single thing.

One last smile, for the last time until I could be reborn… I faded away from the Material realm…

I was going home finally, after so long! I could finally see my friends and family again!


End file.
